The eleventh chapter of Hebrews is the famous Faith Chapter of the Bible. It has been called “God’s Hall of Fame” and the “Roll Call of Faith.” It is comprised of those heros of the faith who performed such great exploits for God down through the ages. It is these champions of faith that comprise the “great cloud of witnesses” that surround us in our daily lives.

The picture being painted here is truly extraordinary. It is a picture of the heavenly grandstands filled with the past champions of the faith, who are now witnessing our lives and cheering us on in our service of Christ. With such witnesses looking on, how can we not be inspired to free ourselves from all worldly encumbrances and sinful entanglements in order to faithfully “run” our “race” for Christ, just as these onlooking and cheering champions of the faith once ran theirs?